COMMON GROUND II: Faith, Love and Friendship Over All

COMMON GROUND II: Faith, Love and Friendship Over All,
we will have the guest panelist Michael Wolfe from USA (American poet, filmmaker, author and is also Co-Founder of Unity Productions Foundation (UPF) and Co-Executive Producer for UPF Films).

We will begin the program with a screening of his short documentary “Talking through Walls”. This documentary is about How the Struggle to Build a Mosque United a Community”, tells the story of old faiths and new friendships, and how democracy can be tested and still work even in challenging times.

Forum Itinerary
1.00 – 1.30pm – Arrival of Moderator and Panelists for a private introductory with each other and briefing session with event organizer and moderator.
1.30 – 1.45pm – Zuhr Prayer
2.00 – 2.05pm – Welcome and introduction by the MC
2.05 – 3.00pm – Movie Screening
3.00 – 3.05pm – Forum format and topic introduction by moderator
3.05 – 3.55pm – Forum and Dialogue.
3.55 – 4.00pm – Thank you note and end.
Synopsis
We are living in a ever challenging world where young people are either disenchanted from their religious beliefs or have totally abandon God and any reference to spirituality. Many factors can be pinpoint as the cause of this phenomenon but lets take a few as a catalyst for the forum. These factors are:
(1) The misrepresentation of faith and spirituality by followers in their practices and adherent to the religion. Hence the loss of love and truly the loss of faith.
(2) The absence of spirituality and meaning in the practice of religion by the “religious” people of the faith.
(3) The misconception of adherence to faith and practices of religion that creates mistrust and hatred between people.
(4) The loss of relevancy, intellectual and practical understanding in the way faith in God are brought to the young people.
(5) The politically charged society and country that unfortunately includes religion in its wave of destruction.

As such, the objectives of this forum is to introduce and promote the universal faith, spirituality and good practices of the different religions in Malaysia as an effort and tool for better socio-religious understanding amongst people. The dialogue in this forum is hope to demonstrate that. The inclusion of Michael Wolfe will expose Malaysians to a better idea of how such understandings are promoted in USA. As an effort to address the factors above, the theme and content of the forum should be to explain and/or include these points:
1. Common Beliefs in God – The beauty of faith in God and it’s universal teaching of the fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man.
2. Common human and universal values of religion – The fundamental teachings and importance knowing, understanding and service to one another.
3. Common spiritual and human interaction values – The dangers of religious arrogance and religiosity delusion of the “religious” people.
4. Come back to humanity with love and mercy – The overwhelming Mercy of God to man and how man should practice the same.
5. Human First – The realization that we are all first and foremost human before anything else, and that is how we look at others as well.
6. The high values and standards of faith – How faith demands the highest values and standards in our interaction with everything on earth.